First I need to bring you back to my hometown of Colts Neck, NJ. It’s a quiet town about an hour and twenty minutes south of NYC.No, we don’t have accents.Yes, it’s a horse town (or at least it used to be before the finance folks barged in uninvited and threw up their McMansions).
Anywhoooo, it’s a lovely town and my mother had pineapples all over the house. Door knockers, wall hangings, ornaments, centerpieces, candy holders…you get the idea.One day, I asked my mother “Mom, what’s up with the f’n pineapples?”. O.K., I was a good girl so I really said “Mom, why do you like pineapples so much?”.
Turns out pineapples symbolize (particularly in the South) warmth, welcome, friendship and hospitality.
That’s nice, isn’t it?
So for a business whose core is built on collaboration, inclusion and connection I thought the pineapple was perfect.
But why am I telling you this? Because your branding matters.
Your story, whether you are telling it on video or showing it through a logo should mean something. Yes, even your logo should tell a story. It’s your visual identity. It doesn’t have to tell your whole story, but it should represent “something”.
No one looks at my pineapple and thinks “Oh! Her business is about connection, collaboration and community”. But once I tell you that story, you look at my pineapple differently. My pineapple now represents those qualities. My pineapple tells the world who I am. Charismatic + charming + inclusive + warm.
Now, what does this have to do with video? Well, your language and approach to video is part of your brand. It’s how you represent yourself. It’s your reputation. And it’s how you set yourself apart from your competition.
Let’s say you have a very sharp and professional logo. Clean, very corporate. But then you do your first Livestream in a Hawaiian shirt and tell off-color jokes. Things that make you say hmmmmm… right? A bit confusing. Or you have a bubbly pink logo and show up on Facebook Live wearing a suit and deliver your information with a serious, monotone demeanor. You get the idea.
If you’ve never thought about your brand before, this article by SOL Marketing does a great job describing the 12 branding archetypes (who knew there was such a thing?). I’m magician meets innocent and has a creator baby.
And I’m going to go on a little soapbox here, when you start doing your livestreams, webinars, launch videos, etc. Look at your background – is it cluttered, dark, distracting? Now think about what you are wearing, I have a great cheat sheet if you’re not sure about this one. And then make sure your message matches your brand – so no potty mouth if your avatar is a religious 65-year-old woman.
So today, I want you to think about your branding. Look at your logo, your website, your videos…is it clear who you are and how you want to be perceived? Because if you don’t know who you are, your audience won’t feel connected to you…and that, my friend, would suck.
P.S. Did you know that it takes 3 years for a pineapple to mature? Right? How did you NOT know that?!!!!
Your Welcome.
P.P.S. If you are looking for professional branding help, I saw Re Perez speak at the Traffic & Conversion Conference a few weeks ago and I really like his approach. Check him out at Branding for the People.